In 1946, a number of radio and electronics enthusiasts in the Midwest area came together to form the Limerick Radio Club which operated for many years. In order to be more inclusive of the members not residing in the city or county of Limerick, and in recognition of the contribution to amateur radio by individuals based in that county, the addition of Clare was adopted by the Club in May 2019, thus becoming the Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club (LCARC). The club holds monthly meetings on the second Thursday of each month, except during the Summer, at the Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands, Midwest Campus at Moylish in Limerick for lectures and demonstration son radio and electronics-related topics.

LCARC has had a highly beneficial engagement with the Shannon Aviation Museum (SAM) for the past eight years and we have a fully functioning state-of-the-art station located there covering the HF, VHF and UHF bands. The Club has plans to enhance this shortly with the provision of a fully-equipped satellite station. The facility at SAM is of major benefit to LCARC because of the ability to have a permanent station at a secure location. Moreover, the space available allows the Club to have a number of antennas for the various bands being worked. As part of the engagement with SAM, LCARC provides a complementary service to visitors. In particular, this extends to:

• Providing presentations and practical demonstrations on amateur radio to Transition Year students, Primary School students and other visitors to SAM.

• Advising on the path way to gaining an Amateur Radio Licence through the course material that is provided by the Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS) and through courses run by the National Shortwave Wave Listeners Club.

• Including aspects related to the STEM subjects to visiting students.

• Welcoming Scout Troops who are entitled to receive a Radio Badge having visited our station.

LCARC will be celebrating 80 years of continuous activity in 2026 which clearly demonstrates the hard work and commitment of our members over all those years. The committee is planning currently a number of events to celebrate this significant milestone and more details will be provided as we get nearer the time. All the information about the Club, including contact details at limerickclareradio@gmail.com, together with relevant information on how to become a member and join us in this exciting hobby is provided on our website limerickclareamateurradioclub.ie